King Dusyanta
Character Analysis

King Dusyanta, a member of the Puru lineage, reigns in northern India, with his capital at Hastinapura. He is the hero of the play. He is attentive to his royal duties, especially those of caring for the oppressed and protecting religious practitioners. At the beginning of the play, he visits Kanva’s hermitage and immediately falls in love with Shakuntala. When he learns that their feelings are mutual, he quickly marries her in secret. After his business at the hermitage is concluded, however, he must return to the capital, and Durvasas’s curse ensures that he forgets Shakuntala and the fact that they are married. Accordingly, when Shakuntala travels to the capital to join him, he rejects her, but he is uneasy about their encounter. After he sees the signet ring he’d given Shakuntala, breaking the curse, he is overwhelmed by remorse. A demon-fighting assignment from Indra’s charioteer, Matali, recalls him to his duties. When, six years later, he is rewarded with a visit to Marica’s celestial hermitage, he discovers his son, Sarvadamana, and is reconciled with Shakuntala.

King Dusyanta Quotes in Shakuntala

The Shakuntala quotes below are all either spoken by King Dusyanta or refer to King Dusyanta. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:

).
Note: all page numbers and citation info for the quotes below refer to the Oxford University Press edition of Shakuntala published in 2008.

Act 1
Quotes

VAIKHANASA. King, this is a hermitage deer. You should not—you must not kill it!

Indeed, indeed, no missile should be shot,Scorching, like a flame through velvet petals,This young fawn’s tender head.Alas, what is the filigree lifeIn this poor animal’s frame,Beside the adamantine rainOf bowshot?

BOTH SEERS. The inhabitants of the ashram have learnt that Your Honor is here, and they have a request to make of you.

KING. Their wish is my command.

BOTH SEERS. They say that, owing to the absence of the great and revered sage Kanva, evil spirits are disrupting their rituals, and so they ask that you should come with your driver and protect the ashram for the next few nights.

KING. It's an honor to be asked.

VIDUSAKA [aside]. This couldn't be better if you'd planned it yourself.

[…]

BOTH SEERS [with delight].

And so you are at one with your ancestors: For all the descendants of Puru are initiates In that great sacrifice which protects The afflicted and alleviates Their pain.

Have you forgotten—forgotten so soon,How you settled on the mango bloom, Turning nectar to honey with kisses? Have you really forgotten what bliss is? To change it so quickly For the wan and sickly Night-flowering lotus?

[…]

KING [to himself]. Why should this song fill me with desire, when I'm not even separated from someone I love? But perhaps

It's what survives of love from other lives, Trapped in certain forms and sounds, And then released by song, That keys my mood From happiness to longing.

SHAKUNTALA [aside]. What's the use in reminding him, when passion can change so monstrously? But I owe it to myself to clear my name. [Aloud] Dear husband—[she breaks off in the middle]—no, my right to address you in that way has been cast into doubt. Puru King, then . . . It becomes you very well to disown a naive and innocent girl with meagre words, after you used them so richly to deceive me in the hermitage.

KING [covering his ears]. Enough of this wickedness!

What are you doing? Like a torrent in spate, Dissolving its banks, Undercutting great trees,You pollute yourself and your family's name In your vile attempt to shame And drag me down.

SHAKUNTALA. Very well! If you really think you're in danger of taking another man's wife, let me show you something that will refresh your memory.

KING. An excellent idea.

SHAKUNTALA [feeling her ring-finger]. No! It can’t be! The ring has gone from my finger!

CHAMBERLAIN [observing the KING]. Whatever the conditions, exceptional beauty always entrances us. Even though wasted with remorse, the king looks wonderful.

Instead of jewels, he wears a single band Above his left-hand wrist; his lips are cracked By sighs; brooding all night has drained his eyes Of lustre; yet, just as grinding reveals A gem, his austerity lays bare An inner brilliance and an ideal form.

SAMUMATI [aside, staring at the KING]. I can see why Shakuntala goes on pining for him, even though he rejected and humiliated her.

KING [pacing about slowly, deep in thought].

Useless heart—buried in sleepWhen my doe-eyed girl Tried to wake it. Now it beats in painTo each pang of remorse, And shall never sleep again.

KING [listening]. This is no place for uncontrolled behavior. Who can they be reprimanding? [Looking in the direction of the voice, surprised] Ah! And what kind of child is this, guarded by two female ascetics, and so much stronger than his years? […] Why am I drawn to this child, as though to my own son?

MARICA. When Menaka came to Aditi, transporting her daughter from the nymphs' ford in such obvious distress, I saw, in meditation, that you had rejected your forest wife because of a curse, spoken by Durvasas. I saw too that the curse would lift when you caught sight of this ring.

KING [sighing with relief]. So—I am not to blame.

SHAKUNTALA [to herself]. It's good to know my husband didn't reject me for no reason at all. And yet I don't remember being cursed. Or perhaps it fell unnoticed through the emptiness of separation that engulfed me then. My friends did urge me to show the ring to my husband.

MARICA. Daughter, now you know the truth. Feel no resentment towards your lord:

When his memory was cursed, Your husband was cruel to you, But that darkness has lifted And your power's renewed; The mirror was tarnished, The image obscure, But with polishing It all becomes clear.

KingDusyanta, holding a bow and arrow and being driven in a chariot, enters the scene,...
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Vaikhanasa, in response to the King’s merciful action, pronounces a prophetic wish: “May you have a son / With all your...
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As they drive toward the hermitage, KingDusyanta comments to his driver that it’s obvious they’re near the holy groves—the deer stroll...
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Right away, the King sees some hermitage girls going to the sacred grove to water the trees. He hides...
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Dusyanta is surprised to see Kanva’s beautiful daughter doing menial tasks. He watches her more intently....
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...looks as though it’s been married to a beautiful, sinuous vine.” At a distance, the King agrees, observing how “youth pushes up through all her limbs.”
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...that Shakuntala is thinking along these lines because she, too, wants a suitable husband. The King thinks that if only Shakuntala were the daughter of a brahmin and a woman of...
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Shakuntala’s friends say that she should call on KingDusyanta for help, since he’s the protector of ascetic groves. The King hesitates a moment,...
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...the religious life?” They all wonder who the mysterious man is, and Anasuya questions him. Dusyanta claims that he’s a newly appointed “Minister for Religious Welfare” who’s come to make sure...
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Dusyanta is “eager to hear about the lives of the virtuous” and asks how long Shakuntala...
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The King observes that Shakuntala is exhausted from watering and offers her his signet ring as a...
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Just then an offstage voice warns that KingDusyanta’s chariots have endangered the sacred grove, scattering the deer and sending an elephant on...
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Act 2

Vidusaka, the King’s overweight companion, complains about what a pain it is traveling with Dusyanta on his hunting...
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When the King’s general comes seeking orders, the King tells him that his enthusiasm for the hunt has...
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...Kanva. They explain that in Kanva’s absence, evil spirits are disrupting the ascetics’ rituals, so Dusyanta has been asked to stay and protect the ashram for a few nights. Dusyanta eagerly...
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Karabhaka, the royal messenger, then comes in with another message. He explains that the King has been requested by his mother, the queen, to attend the upcoming ritual fast to...
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Act 3

An assistant of Kanva says that KingDusyanta is so powerful, he had only to enter the ashram in order to quell...
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...leaf, but she hardly seems to be aware of it. Noting how ill she looks, Dusyanta wonders, “Now, is it the heat, or is it the heart, as it is with...
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Shakuntala’s friends ponder how best to help her. Priyamvada says it’s obvious that the King shares her feelings, because “he’s as thin as she is from lack of sleep.” They...
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As Dusyanta sits next to the embarrassed Shakuntala, Priyamvada says that since it’s the King’s duty to...
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...Gautami, the senior female ascetic, comes in search of Shakuntala, Shakuntala sorrowfully takes leave of Dusyanta. Dusyanta grieves their separation, regretting not having kissed her. Then the King himself is summoned...
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Act 4

...Shakuntala’s secret marriage is working out. But Anasuya worries what will happen now that the King’s business at the ashram has concluded: “Who can say whether he’ll remember what’s happened in...
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...“the sight of a memento can lift the curse.” The girls relax, recalling the ring Dusyanta has given Shakuntala.
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Shakuntala is full of grief in Dusyanta’s absence. Anasuya frets about the King’s failure to even send a letter, worrying that he’s...
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...chanting the news: “For the world’s welfare your daughter / Bears the lustrous seed of KingDusyanta.” Kanva is happily sending her to her husband with an escort of seers.
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...left.” She tearfully says goodbye to Priyamvada and Anasuya, and they remind her to show Dusyanta the ring he gave her, in case he’s slow to recognize her.
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Act 5

In the capital, the King overhears a song that fills him with desire: “Have you forgotten—forgotten so soon, / How...
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Then a chamberlain walks in, reluctant to disturb the King. However, “a king can’t put off his duty.” He reports that a group of forest...
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As her party approaches the King, Shakuntala’s right eyelid trembles—an evil omen. The King, seeing Shakuntala at a distance, wonders, “Who...
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One of Kanva’s messengers informs the King that Kanva isn’t displeased with Shakuntala’s secret marriage, since the two are so well matched...
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One of the ascetics lifts the despondent Shakuntala’s veil so that Dusyanta will know her, but he continues to regard her in silence, finally admitting that he...
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The more Shakuntala tries to spark Dusyanta’s memory, the more he accuses her of using “honeyed words” to deceive him: “Females of...
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The ascetics prepare to go, telling Dusyanta it’s up to him to take or leave Shakuntala, since “a husband’s power is absolute.”...
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Dusyanta consults with a court priest, wondering if it’s worse to “[collude] in the ruin of...
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Act 6

Two policemen enter, leading a fisherman. He’s been accused of stealing a ring with the King’s name engraved on it. The fisherman, frightened, insists that he discovered the ring in the...
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...due to “the scandal of Shakuntala.” It turns out that when he saw the ring, Dusyanta remembered that he really did marry Shakuntala and “rejected her out of sheer delusion. And...
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The King enters, dressed as a penitent, and the chamberlain observes that the king still looks wonderful...
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The King sends word that, after a sleepless night, he’s not fit to sit in judgment over...
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Vidusaka tries to cheer the King, arguing that if indeed Shakuntala was carried away by nymphs, then surely Menaka will take...
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Then a maidservant, Caturika, enters, carrying a portrait of Shakuntala painted by the King. As Dusyanta resumes work on the painting, he laments that he rejected the living woman...
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...has been lost at sea, and because he was childless, his wealth goes to the King. Dusyanta reflects, “How terrible to be childless!” The wealth of Dusyanta’s own family will undergo...
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...explaining that an invisible spirit has seized Vidusaka and dragged him onto the palace roof. Dusyanta rushes to his aid, but can’t see his friend. Just as he’s about to shoot...
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Act 7

Six years have passed. Dusyanta has successfully destroyed the demons. He and Matali are returning to earth in the chariot....
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They enter Marica’s tranquil hermitage. While Dusyanta waits for an audience with Marica, he senses another omen, a throbbing vein in his...
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The King marvels at a strong sense of connection to the willful, spoiled child. He notices that...
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The King heartens at this news, and is further excited when the ascetic happens to mention that...
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Shakuntala enters. The King recognizes her at once: “Her robes are dusky, drab, / Her hair a single braid,...
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Shakuntala doesn’t think that the pale King resembles her husband. Dusyanta says, “My dear, that cruelty I practiced on you has come...
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As Shakuntala breaks down in tears, Dusyanta tells his wife that “In looking on your pale / Unpainted lips, I have at...
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...to see Marica. Marica and his wife, Aditi, the parents of Indra, greet and bless Dusyanta and Shakuntala: “Fortune unites faith, wealth, and order: / Shakuntala the pure, her noble son,...
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...Kanva the happy news of the broken curse and the reunited family. Now, Marica says, Dusyanta must return to his capital with his wife and boy. He blesses them, particularly wishing...
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